Arch-support.



A. E. BLOCK.

' ARCH SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, I911.

Patented July 6, 1915.

ALEXANDER E. BLOCK, 0]! ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ARCH-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed November 15, 1911. Serial No. 660,339.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. BLooK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arch-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in arch supports and has for its object to provide an arch support comprising a flexible body-section. a plate mounted beneath the body-section whereby the longitudinal curvature of the body section is controlled, an insert interposed between the plate and bodysection to'cause localized curvature of the body section, to adjust said body-section to the conformation of the foot of the wearer.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of an arch support embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. F ig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

As shown in the drawings, I employ a flexible body-section 4, beneath which the plate 5 has its rear end fixedly mounted by the rivet 6, the front or free end of the plate 5 being provided with downwardly projecting points 7, 8 and 9, which are adapted to engage with the perforation 10 in the strap 11. At its rear end the plate 5 is provided with lateral wings 1213 which are for the accommodation of the insert 14, which will be placed between the body-section and one of said wings 12, 13 to cause a curvature of the heel of the body-section 1, when the need of such curvature is indicated by the condition of the foot of the user.

An insert 15 is adapted to be interposed between the body-section 4 and plate5 at any desired point between the points of attachment of the plate 5 to the body-section 4;-the inner edge of the plate 5 is provided with notches 16, and the insert 15 is provided with a lug 17 which engages with either of the notches 16, to secure the insert 15 in place and to prevent its longitudinal displacement. The insert 15 is also provided with hooks 18, which engage with the edge of the plate 5, to keep the insert 15 in alinement with the plate 5. The insert 15 is also provided upon its upper face with transverseslots 19, of the form indicated in Fig.

3, and the body-section 4 is provided with a downwardly projected prong 20 which engages with either of the slots 19, to hold the insert 15 against longitudinal displacement with reference to the body-section 4.

It should be understood that the arch support is illustrated in inverted position in Figs. 2 and 3; also that the inserts 11 and 15 may be of various forms and various sizes to insure the exact fitting of the arch support to the foot of the wearer.

The plate 5 may be constructed of any material sufficiently inflexible to perform the functions of holding theinserts 14 and 15, and of contracting and holding the bodysection 4 with the desired degree of convexity; 7

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is

1. In an arch support, a body section: a plate mounted beneath the body section and secured thereto at its ends and provided with notches on one of its edges; andan insert removably mounted upon said plate and having hooks adapted to engage with the said notches.

2. In an arch support, a flexible bodysection provided with a downwardly pro, jecting prong; a relatively inflexible plate mounted beneath the body-section and attached thereto at its ends; and an insert mounted between said body-section and said plate and having slots adapted to engage with said prong.

-3. In an arch-support the combination of a body-section, a plate adjustably secured upon the lower face of the body-section and having laterally projecting wings at its rear end,'a heel insert adapted to be interposed between either of said wings and the bodysection, and an insert adapted to be interposed between the plate and the body-section at any point between the points of attachment of the plate and the body-section.

In testimony whereof,.I have signed my name to the specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER E. BLOCK.

Witnesses J. R. FRAME, N. E. BROCKMAN. 

